North America’s box office is about to get a monster-sized weekend. Godzilla Minus Zero, Toho’s sequel to the 2023 Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, is tracking for an estimated $30 million debut from 3,254 theaters — enough to lead the frame comfortably.
Produced by Toho and distributed in the U.S. by GKids, the Takashi Yamazaki-directed film is the first Japanese production ever shot for Imax. Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman has called it an ‘even grander follow-up to Godzilla Minus One.’ That premium-format advantage should lift average ticket prices, not just seat count.
The weekend slate
- Godzilla Minus Zero: $30 million from 3,254 theaters
- The Cat in the Hat: $20 million to $25 million from 4,000 domestic venues
- Wild Horse Nine: $5 million to $7 million from roughly 1,000 screens
- Ramayana: Rise of a Legend: $6 million projected over four days, in 1,300 theaters
Why the Godzilla jump matters
The first film opened with $11.4 million domestically and legged out to $57 million in North America and $113 million globally, helped by strong reviews and a strike-thinned market. A $30 million opening would be roughly 2.6 times that start. For distributors and exhibitors, the bigger signal is that Japanese franchise IP can now open like a mainstream Hollywood event when paired with Imax exclusivity and positive word of mouth.
Family animation is playing a longer game
Warner Bros. Animation’s The Cat in the Hat is pacing for second place with $20 million to $25 million from 4,000 locations. That is far below older Seuss openings — The Grinch opened to $67 million in 2018 and The Lorax to $70 million in 2012, neither adjusted for inflation. The more useful comp may be Sony’s Garfield, which opened to $23 million in 2024 and eventually reached $91 million domestic and $257 million global. With a $92 million production budget and theaters keeping roughly half of ticket sales, Cat in the Hat needs similar legs, overseas support, and a clear family lane until Disney’s Hexed arrives Nov. 25.
Specialty and Indian releases fill the edges
Searchlight’s Wild Horse Nine, directed by Martin McDonagh and starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, is targeting $5 million to $7 million from about 1,000 screens. That’s a wider initial footprint than McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, which started limited before reaching $10.5 million domestic and $50 million global, and Searchlight will hope the Oscar track does the same heavy lifting. The Indian epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is projected at $6 million over its first four days, matching the 2024 North American openings of Telugu releases Kalki 2898 AD, Devara Part 1 and Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2 ($5 million to $5.6 million). Sony’s 1,300-theater release is the widest North American release for an Indian film.
What to watch next
These are estimates, not finals. The real test arrives in weekend two: Godzilla’s premium-format share, Cat in the Hat’s family word of mouth, and whether Ramayana can leg out beyond its comparable 2024 Telugu debuts. For media planners, the weekend is a clean four-way split between event franchise, branded animation, specialty counterprogramming, and Indian diaspora reach.
Source: Variety
